Machine for conveying and loading crops.



F. L. WEBSTER. MACHINE FOR CONVEYING AND LOADING CROPS.

' APPLICATION rum) JULY 21, 1905.

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rut NORRIS Pn'llu 1: 0, wuunv You a c PATEN'IED SEPT. 11, 1906.

Nd; 830,630. PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906.

' F. L. WEBSTER.

MACHINE FOR CONVEYING AND LOADING CROPS. APPLICATION FILED JULY21, 1905.

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ms NORRIS PETR5 co wasnmaron, m c

PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZI, 1905.

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THE Nonnls PETERS :o wAsnmomm-nrm NO- 830,630. PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906.

F. L. WEBSTER. MACHINE FOR CONVEYING AND LOADING CROPS.

APPLICATION I'ILED JULYZI, 1905.

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ml uonms FITERS cm, murunwmn, B. c.

NO- 830,630. PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906.

P. L. WEBSTER.

MACHINE FOR CONVEYING AND LOADING CROPS. APPLICATION FILED JULYZI, 1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

faverdor 37/ pusks ca. WASHINGTON. a. c,

would necessitate the mast being located oFFIoE. FRANK LESLIE WEBSTER, OF HONOLULU, TERRITORY HAWAII. MACHINE FOR CONVEYING AND LOADING CROPS.

UNITED STATES PATENT N 0. 830,630. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 21, 1905. Serial No. 270,710.

Patented Sept. 11, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK LESLIE WEB- STER, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Honolulu, Island of Oahu, Terri. tory of Hawaii, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Conveying and Loading Crops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for conveying and loading crops, and is particularly adapted for use insugar-cane fields for con veying and loading onto cars the cut cane bundled by laborers.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and improve machines of this class, particularly of the type described in Letters Patent No. 740,066, granted to me September 29, 1903, in which the platform was turntabled so as to turn in a horizontal plane on. the frame of its car-truck for two reasons: first, so that the machine could be turned to the position of least width to avoid obstructions in transporting the machine, and, second, so that the jib-crane end of the machine could be turned toward the car to be loaded.

As it is desirable that the ends of the two booms may each swing over and load opposite ends of a car simultaneously, inmy former machine I employed two jib-cranes having one mast common to both. In order to operate at either end of the machine without a turn-table, a similar crane construction 2 represents aside elevation of the same. Fig. 3 represents an end elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the platform of the machine. Fig. 5 is a similar View of the upper deck. Fig. 6 represents a detail of the end of a boom. Fig. 7 is a detail of a shoe. Fig. 8 is a detail of an automatic safety device for hauling in cables.

ig. 9 is a view of a fragment, showing the manner of operation of a hauling-cable-drum clutch. Fig. 10 securing the boom guy-rope to the mast; and Fig. 11 is a similar view of an eye such as forms the end of a stiff 'leg, as hereinafter referred to.

The platform 1 of the machine is mounted directly upon a car-truck 2, suitable for the plantation-track. Rails 3 are secured upon the platform 1 and form a track of the same gage as that upon which the car-truck 2 operates. These rails 3 are bent or curved slightly downward toward each end of the platform 1*, and a length of portable track 4 and '5, respectively, is connected by fishplates to each end of the track on the plat form 1, as shown in Fig. 1. I provide shoes 6, which are bolted to the lower ends of the portable tracks 4 and 5 and fit over the heads of the rails of the track on the ground. These shoes 6 are each made of a tapered piece of plate 6 bent over and riveted to two bars 6 as detailed in Fig. 7, and which form fishplates to connect to the lower ends of the rails of the portable tracks 4 and -5. I am aware that the outer ends of inclined rails have been made so as to fit over the heads of rails forming the track on the ground and that the same have been provided with flanges to prevent lateral displacement. By means of the shoes 6, however, any length or section of portable track may be used without employing special rails with forged ends.

Upon the platform 1 is firmly secured the framework 7, of sufiicient height and width. to permit of an empty car being passed'through it when run over the rails 3 on the platform 1. Within the framework 7 is mounted a gasolene-engine or other motor 8, connected by gearing 9 to drive a drum-shaft 10 on one side of and parallel to the center line of the machine. The cable-drums on'the shaft 10 are arranged in two setsa set on each side of the gearing 9*one set for working the cables on each'side of the railway, each set consistover the center of the machine and the cranes made longer; but the necessary bracing or stiff legs for a mast so located would interfere with the proper Working of the cranes and materially limit the arcs through which each could swing. a

By my present improvements the turntable is unnecessary, first, as the frame of the machine is sufficiently narrow to avoid obstructions in transporting the machine, and, second, as the cranes are so arranged that they can be used simultaneously to load both ends of a car at either desired end of the machine. By these improvements the weight of the machine is reduced, the passing of empty cars through the machine is facilitated, andcertain other advantages are obtained, as will be hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure 1 represents an isometric view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig.

is a plan view of a link for- Upon one side of the platform 1 and,

ing of two hauling-cable drums 11 and one hoisting-cable drum with brake-band 12, any one of which may be operated by means of friction-clutches with suitable levers, at the will of the operator. On the opposite side of the machine the platform 1 carries the watertank 13, which not only tends to balance the machine, but su plies the water for cooling the engine-cylinc er. The platform 1 extends outside of the framework 7 at both ends of the machine instead of at the'sides, as heretofore, and the platform is further narrowed by the use of one instead of two shafts for the cable-drums.

Upon the upper deck or top of the framework 7 are mounted two masts 14 15, with booms 16 17, respectively, preferably made of tubing. The lower ends of the masts 14 turn in the sockets 18 19, respectively, secured to the upper deck or top of the frame work7, one near each end of same and slightly offset from the center line of the machine, so as to bring the center of each mast approximately in a vertical plane above one of the rails 3 of the track on the platform 1, as shownin Fig. 3. The upper end of each mast terminates in a pin 14 15 Two stiff legs 20 are provided for bracing the mast 14, with eyes 20 at their upper ends to engage the pin 14*, and a similar pair 21 is provided for the mast 15, with eyes 21 to engage the pin 15. A brace 22, with eyes 22 at each end, engages the pins 14 and 15, and there by connects the tops of the masts. Each boom and its mast is thus free to turn horizontally through an arc of about three hundred degrees, or five-sixths of a circle. The upperends of the booms 16 17 are made with upward offsets 16 17, respectively, with an opening in each for the free passage of the hoisting-cable. These offsets support pins 16 17, respectively, forming pivots about which the sheaves 23 24 for the hoisting-cables can turn. The booms 16 17 are braced by the guy-ropes 25 26', connecting eyes 16" 17 in the ends of said pins 16 17 with the links 27 2-8,, which are placed over the pins 14 15" between the eyes 20 21, respectively, of each pair of stiff legs. The links 27 28 are each held in one or the other of two positions by means of a removable pin, as 29, in the holes, as 1239 or 130, in the eyes 2O 21 or ends of each pair of stiff legs and through a hole, as 131, in the link. As the links are thus prevented from turning about the pins 14 15, the guy-ropes 25 26 swing when the boom is turned a cut the end of the links 27 28, respectively, as a center instead of about the pins 14 15 The links are thus held so that the booms 16 17 normally'swing over the ends of a car to be loaded placed at one end of the machineas, for example, on the inclined track 4. When loading is to be effected at the opposite end of the machine, the ins 29 are removed from their respective holes and the booms swung around, each link turning with its guy-rope about the pin in the top of the mast. The pins 29 are then inserted in the other holes in the ends of the stiff legs on the opposite side of the mast. The location of the holes for the pin 29 is such that the end of each boom in either case tends normally to swing over the car to be loaded. The construction of each derrick is similar.

It will now be noted that by the present construction no turn-table is required, as the width of the machine permits of its transportation without the necessity of turning the platform, as heretofore, and the cranes can be operated through a wide range and used to load both ends of acar placed at either desired end of the machine without having to reverse the platform, as was necesssary in my former machine. By the omission of the turn-table the weight of the machine is reduced' and the platform is lowered, which is an advantage in passing empty cars through the machine over said platform.

Each hauling-in cable 30 passes fromits respective drum 1 1 u ward and, over a sheave 31 and out into the ield, the arrangement of the cables being as shown and described in my Patent No. 740,066, issued September 29, 1903. The sheave 31 turns on a pin 32 in a yoke 33, Fig. 8. The yoke 33 is pivoted to turn horizontally about the vertical bolt 34, supported by the upper deck of the framework 7, in order that the cable 30 may lead off from the sheave 31 in various directions. A bell-crank 35, shown in Fig. 8 as a triangular-shaped piece of plate, is fulcrumed on the pin 32 and provided with a stud 35 at its upper end. A rod 36 connects the other end of the bell-crank 35-witl'1 the-lever 135, which operates the friction-clutch 136 of the drum 11. The stud 35 not only keeps the cable 30 in the groove of the sheave 31, but also performs another function. An interference 30 is attached to or made a part of the field end of the cable 30, and when it engages the stud 35 the bell-crank 35'is tilted about the pin 32 and the rod 36 is forced downward, thereby releasing the friction-clutch and stopping the drum 11. This arrangement constitutes an automatic safety device, which stops the hauling in of the cable and-prevents possible damage being done in case the operator should forget to work the lever at the proper time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine for conveying and loading crops, comprising a platform mounted on a car-truck, a track on said platform inclined at each end, inclined rails with shoes to connect the track on the platform with the track on which the machine operates, a motor on one side of the platform for operating two sets of hauling and hoisting cables, a frame above the platform permitting of the passage of a car through same,and two cranes supported by said frame, one located near the center of each end of the top of said frame, substantially as described.

2. Ina machine of the kind described, a boom having its outer end upwardly offset, an opening in said offset for the free passage of the hoisting-cable, a pin supported by said offset end, and a sheave for said cable capable of turning about said pin as a pivot.

3. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with a drum, of its shaft, a clutch adapted to secure said drum to said shaft, a cable upon saiddrum, a sheave over which said cable passes, a lever fulcrumed about the axis of said sheave and connected withsaid clutch, and. an interference upon said cable adapted to engage with said lever.

4. In a machine of the kind described, a hauling-in cable 30, a sheave 31 for same adapted to revolve on a pin 32 supported in a yoke 33 which is pivoted on a vertical bolt 34 supported by the framework 7, a bell-crank '35 fulcrumed on the pin 32 and provided with a stud 35 at one end, a rod 36 attached to the other end and connected to the operatinglever of the friction-clutch of the drum,1l, and an interference 30 on the cable 30 for engaging the stud 35 for the purpose and substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the kind described, a mast 14 mounted to turn in a socket 18 at its lower end and terminating in a pin 14 at its upper end, two stiff legs 20'with eyes 20 at their upper ends to engage the pin 14, a boom 16 having its lower end connected to said mast, a guy-rope 25 connecting the outer end of said boom with a link 27 over the pin 14 and between the ends 20" of said stiff legs, and a removable pin 29 in holes in the ends of said stiff legs and through said link, for the purpose of causing the boom normally to swing over the car to be loaded.

6. A machine for conveying and loading crops, comprising a platform mounted on a car-truck, a track upon which said truck runs, a track upon said platform, inclined rails adapted to connect the track upon said platform with the track on which the truck runs, a frame upon said platform through which a car may pass, and two cranes supported by said platform, one at each end of the machine, and offset from the center line thereof.

7. In a crane, the combination with a boom, of a guy-rope therefor, the mast, a link upon the mast to which the guy-rope is secured, and means for securing said link in any one of a plurality of positions.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a frame adapted to permit the passage of cars, a track therethrough, a crane thereon comprising a boom, and adjustable means for causing said boom to normallly swing over either end of said frame at w1 9.'A shoe for connecting relatively inclined tracks, comprising a tapered plate having its edges bent over to form flanges to prevent lateral displacement, and barsv secured to said bent-over edges and projecting beyond the same.

10. A machine for conveying and loading crops, comprising a platform mounted on a oar-truck, a track on said platform inclined at each end, a track on which the car-truck runs, a motor on one side of the platform, a set of cable-drums: arranged longitudinally and in line with each other on each side of the motor and geared thereto, a frame above the platform permitting the passage of a car therethrough, and a crane supported by said frame,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

! FRANK LESLIE WEBSTER. l Witnesses:

SARAH B. DEVERILL.

, A. A. WILsON, 

